Atomizer



Nov. 2, 1943. w; s. BQWEN ATOMIZER Filed Aug. 27, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet lFIG.2.

BY W m I WLQQ ATTORNEY Nov. 2, 1943. w. s. BOWEN 2,333,150

ATOMIZER Filed Aug. 27, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Flea.

INVENTOR W/u MM VCE/PfiM/AW A T TORNE Y Nov. 2, 1943. w. s, BOWEN2,333,150

ATOMI ZER Filed Aug. 23, 2,41 4 SheetsSheet s INVENTOR wan/115 564? anewW If 2 TTORNEY Nov. 2, 1943.

w. s. BOWEN 2,333,150

ATOMIZER Filed Aug. 27, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 BYNGTJMWVW A TTORNE YPatented Nov. 2,,1/1943 UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE.

. 2,333,150 t i a ATOMIZER William Spencer Bowen, Westfl eld, N. J;ApplicationAugust 27, 1941, Serial No. 403,451

3 Claims. The present invention relates to atomizing mechanisms andembodies, morespecifically, an

improved form of atomizer in which atomization is rendered moreeffective by the utilization of high kinetic or velocity energy.

More particularly, the invention embodies an improved form of rotaryatomizer in which the liquid to be atomized is fed into the deviceaxially thereof and is subjected to curved radially disposed rotatingvanes to produce increased velocity and consequent impact due to thechange in direction of the liquid flowing through the vanes. It iscontemplated, in accordance with the present invention, to provide arotary atomizer having two or more stages, this being accomplished byproviding alternate courses of rotating and stationary vanes. thestationary vanes curving in a direction opposite to that of the rotaryvanes, thus to change the direction of travel of the fluid passingthrough the stationary vanes in order that it may be directed A furtherobject of the invention is to provide an atomizer of the above characterwherein the energy of the stream flowing through the mechanism is as faras possible kinetic or velocity energy which results in the building upof extremely high velocities to produce a microscopically thin filmofliquid passing over the vanes at the outer edges thereof, thus toproduce microscopically small atomized particles.

The foregoing and other objects are realized in a rotary atomizer havinga plurality of courses of vanes producing, in effect, a compound actionon the liquid by providing alternate rotary and stationary stages inadvance, the curvatures of the respective vanes being, of

opposite direction in order to change the direc-- tion of the velocityof the streams and by the tapering effect of the adjacent surfaces ofadjacent vanes to build up pressure which results in greatly increasingthe velocity of the streams in the several stages.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide animproved supercharging mechanism embodying the features of the.wherein':

compound atomizer above referred to. This supercharging mechanismenables the exhauststood fully. In this connection, referencewill now behadto the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view in section, taken through a compound atomizerconstructed in accordance withv the present invention.

Fig.2 is a view in'section, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l andlookingin the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section, taken in a plane lying inthe axisof the mechanism and showing the. preferred form of exhaust driven Iturbine utilized by the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a view similarto Fig. 3, showing the compressor that is drivenby the turbine of Fig. 1. In this connection, Figs. 3 and 4, when takentogether, illustrate the complete assembly of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a detail enlarged view, 1 in section,

taken on the line 55 .of Fig. 3 andlooking in the direction of thearrows.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 4 andlooking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig; 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5, taken on the line 'l---! of Fig. 4and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, an atomizer or spray mechanism isillustrated as being formed of acasing I, in whicha drive shaft 2 isJour- .naled. The casingis formed with a passage! through which asubstance to be atomized may be fed to a feed nozzle 4. The feed nozzleextends downwardly into a rotating head formed of a plate 5 which issecured to rotate with the,

i As illustrated in Fig. 2,; each vane is' formed of two curved plates9' and 9", being secured in position to provide passages 9 between thead jacent plates of adjacent vanes. The passages 9 curve in the mannershown and taper in such extremely heretofore.

I left-hand end of an exhaust sulating material 29.

fashion that the cross-sectional area of the passages diminishes as thefluid progresses radially outwardly through the passages.

In view of the tapering and curved formations of the vanes, the pressureupon the fluid flowing through the atomizer increases as the fluidprogresses radially outwardly. This pressure is transformed into highkinetic or velocity energy and because of the change of direction byreason of the different curvature of the surfaces of the curved andstationary vanes, the velocity of the fluid increases tremendously. Itwill be seen that the velocity increase continues cumulatively in eachof the rotary and stationary vanes and until the fluid reaches theperiphery of the wheel. In compressible fluids, therefore, thecompression of the fluids is increased substantially, whereas withfluids such as water or oil, the result will be the building up ofpressures. As a result, the fluid or liquid leaving the atomizer istravelling under high velocity and the fllm is, accordingly, thin. Whenthis thin fllm strikes the air, it forms into the extremely small andmicroscopic particles. Inasmuch as the mechanism is such as to increasethe velocity of the liquid to be atomized very substantially over thevelocity of the rotating head, it is possible to rotate the head at arelatively low speed and yet attain velocities of great magnitude in theliquid leaving the periphery of the atomizer. For example, by 'properdesign, peripheral speeds of the liquid leaving the atomizer in theorder of 30,000 to 40,000 feet per minute, can be achieved by rotatingthe head at approximately 3600 R. P. M. It will be seen that thisenables drivingmechanism easily available to be used to rotate the headrather than to require specifically designed high. speed mechanism ashas been necessary Referring to Figs. 3 to 7, Fig. 3 illustrates thedriven supercharger embodying the present invention, while Fig. 4 showsthe right-hand end. If these figures are placed side by side, the entiremechanism will be readily apparent. r

Referring to Fig. 3, the exhaust driven turbine is shown as having asupport l formed with a bearing housing andhousing cap |-2. To thehousing II and cap l2, there is bolted a casing |3 which is formed withan outwardly. flaring top and bottom outlets |5 and I6. respectively. Afront plate "is removably secured to the wall Hand is formed withannular vane supporting surfaces l8 and I9. Centrally of the plate Nthere is formed aninlet 26 into which the exhaust gases are introduced,as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3. Similar wall I4, formed witharrows illustrate the flow of the exhaust gases through the outlets l5and I6.

Monuted within the bearing II is a drive shaft 2| provided with suitablebearings 22 and sealing rings 23. The drive shaft is formed with aflange plate 24 which may be locked in position by means of a lock 25. Aturbine rotor is shown at 26 and is formed with a 'central gasdeflecting surface 21 as illustrated, in order that the exhaust gasesmay be directed effectively into the vanes of the turbine. The centralportion of the rotor is hollow as indicated at 28 in order to receive anin A retaining plate 36 is welded or otherwise secured to the rotor 26and the entire assembly is secured to the flange plate 24 by means ofbolts formed with a peripherally The rotor 26 is mounted in such fashionas to flanged extension 32 having annular vane supporting bosses 33 and34;

Each of the bosses l8, I9, 33 and 34 is provided with a series of vanes,the structure of which is illustrated in Fig. 5. For example, boss I9has secured thereto by means of bolts 35, side plate 36 between which aseries of vanes 31 are secured. This series of vanes is illustrated inFig. 5 and each of the vanes of the series is formed with a drivingplate 38 and a guide plate 39. As shown in Fig. 5, the plates are formedand provide converging fluid passages 40. Boss 33 is formed with aseries of vanes 4|, as illustrated in Fig. 5, secured in the samefashion that the series of vanes 31 are secured, and being formed withcooperating guide plates 42 and 43. These guide plates form fluidpassages 44 which serve to change the direction of movement of the fluidin order that the energy thereof may rotor 26. The plates 42 thus becomethe driving vanes or surfaces for the first stage of the impeller.

' Boss I8 is formed with a series of vanes 45 that are formed of plates46 and 41. The plates 46 and 41 thus provide channels 48 that reversethe flow of the fluid and direct it against the rotor vanes of the finalstage, such vanes being indicated generally at 49, and being mountedupon the boss 34. Vanes 49 are to provide channels 52 through which thedriving fluid passes, the vanes providing the working surface for thesecond stage of the impeller.

It will be observed that the formation of the vanes of the severalstages is such as to produce a high degree of torque for driving theshaft 2| inasmuch as the passages between the vanes converge asillustrated in Fig. 5. Moreover, the insulating material 29 serveseffectively to isolate the shaft 2| from the heat of the exhaust gases.

Referring to Fig. 4, the support with a bearing housing 53 and a cap 54,each of which is flanged to serve as a mounting plate upon which thecompressor housing indicated generally at 55 may be mounted. Thecompressor housing receives the drive shaft 2| which is journaled inbearings 56 and is formed with a circular chamber 51 within which acentrifugal sealing disc 58 is received. The sealing disc is mounted onthe drive shaft and serves to prevent the flow of grease into thecompressor housing from the bearing 56.

The housing is formed with a flanged portion 59 supporting the exhaustmember 60 of the compressor. Exhaust member 60 is formed with an exhaustduct 6| as illustrated in Fig. 4. A central casing member 62 is securedto the casing member 59 and is flanged to receive the forward casingmember 63 which is formed with a front wall 64 having an inlet 65. Theintermediate or central casing member 62 is formed with an innerstationary wall 66 which serves to support the stator vanes hereinafterto be described.

Shaft 2| extends into the compressor casing and is formed with a hub 61upon which a rotor plate 68 is mounted. The rotor plate carries twoseries of rotor vanes, these series being indicated at 69 and 10 in Fig.6. The rotor vanes 69 are formed by plates 1| and 12 that formconverging fluid passages 13 to compress and direct the fluid to aseries of stator Vanes which are mounted upon the front plate 64. Thestator vanes are formed by plates 15 and 16 to form passages 11 whichreverse the direction of motion of the fluid and direct it toward theseries of vanes 10 which be utilized to drive the formeddby plates 50and 5|- ID is provided are formed by plates 18 and 19. These plates 18and 19 form converging passages 80 to compress the air further anddischarge it, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4, into inwardlyextending passage 8|, which is formed with rectifying vanes 82 to takethe whirl out of the air. The air under pressure is thus directed fromthe first wheel formed by the plate 68 to the second.

scribed and will, therefore, be alluded toherein generally and withoutspecific description.- It i will be observed that the air compressed bythe vanes 8| will be directed against a series of stator vanes 85 thatare mounted upon the plateje, thus having the direction of movementthereof changed so that the air may be again effectively compressed bymeans of the second stage of retor vanes 86. The next series of vanes 81mounted upon the stationary plate .68 again reverses the direction offiow of the air and directs it-tp the final stage of vanes 88 that aremounted upon the plate 82. From the vanes 88 the compressed air isdirected to the outlet 8i. v

In order that the compressed air may be mixed intimately with the fuel,the compressor is pro-iivided with a fuel supply pipe,89 that isreceived axially of? the hub 81 and supplies fuel to a cen-- tralchamber 90 from which it is directed. outwardly radially throughpipesill. The centrifugal force of the outwardly moving fuel directs itwith 'great force through apertures 92 in the rotor plate-82 andintroduces the fuel into the highly compressed air stream Justas'itenters the final compression stage efiected by the-vanes,

88. This results in an effective mixture of fuel and air that is notonly homogeneous in character but also is under great pressure andprovides 8 an extremely effective source of fuel forsuper- I chargingpurposes.

While the invention has been described ,with specific reference to theaccompanying drawings, it is not to be limited save as defined in theappended claims.

I claim;

1. Super-charging mechanism comprising, in combinatioma turbine, acompressor driven by the turbine, said compressor having an axial in letand peripheral outlet, a rotor for the compressor having first andsecond wheels, a plurality of stages of vanes on each of the wheelsforming convergin passages, a plurality of stages of stator vanescooperating with the first named vanes, means to direct fluid from theperiphery of the first wheel to the center of the second wheel, Inearls;between the two wheels to rectify the flow .ofi'thefluid, and means tointroduce fuel into the compressor adjacent the last stage of the secondwheel.

2. Supercharging mechanism comprising, in combination; aturbine, acompressor driven by the turbine; -said compressor having an axial inletand? peripheral outlet, a rotor for the compressor'havi'ng first andsecond wheels, a pin-- rality'of stages of vanes on each of the wheelsforming con-verging passages, a plurality of stages of statorvanescooperating with the first named vanes, means to direct fluid from theperiphery of the first wheel to the center of the second wheel, betweenthe two wheels to rectify the flowm'fthe fluid, means to introduce fuelinto the compressor adjacent the last stage of the second wheel, thecompressor being formed with a circular chamber, and a grease seal discon the roto'r' iand received in the circular chamber. Y

3. Supercharging mechanism comprising, in combination, a turbine havinga rotor and rotor shaft and a plurality of stages of vanes in theturbine andfo'n the rotor, means to direct exhaust gases into theturbine axially thereof, insulating material on the rotor to obstructthe flow ofthe heat of the exhaust gases to the rotorshaft,,,alcompressor driven by the rotor shaft,

said compressor having an axial inlet and peripheral outlet, at leastone stage of stator vanes, a plurality of stages of rotor vanes formingconverging passages and cooperating with the said stator vanesrespectively, and means to introduce fuel into the compressor adjacentthe outlet thereof.

WILLIAM SPENCER BOWEN.

